Crossing Worlds
by Karma-k2
Summary: It's a LITERAL alternate universe. Harry isn't Harry, but a girl named Eden, who suddenly ends up in Harry's world. Set after HBP, ignores a whole lot of canon, lots of evil! Aimed for non!Mary Sue, but you can decide for yourself. Rated T for safety.
1. Setting the Scene

**A/N:** OK. I wanted to get a whole bunch of HP fics up here, but haven't had time to write past the first chapters of each, so I've put them up just to say "see? I started them before _Deathly Hallows_ came out!" I try to stick to canon as much as possible, but all my stories tend to skew off into and AU direction. You have been warned!! Starts at the end of _Half Blood Prince_. **WARNING: LITERAL AU!!**

**Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling. I am not Warner Brothers. I own nothing worth having, and have nothing worth owning. If you'd like to believe I'm rich, beautiful, talented and influential, that's OK. I'd like to believe that too.**

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Eden Lily Potter sat up in her bed and sighed. She wasn't having any luck in trying to fall asleep. Everytime she closed her eyes, Dumbledore's death kept replaying in her mind. 

"Argh!" she said, louder than she had intended. Her godfather and legal guardian Sirius Black poked his head around the door a few minutes later.

"Eden? You OK? Your scar's not hurting, is it?"

"No. I just can't seem to sleep."

Sirius came into the room and sat on the edge of her bed. "Dumbledore again?" he asked sympathetically.

"Yeah. I am so gonna kill Snape!" she hissed. Sirius let out a weak chuckle.

"Leave Snape to me," he said mirthlessly. "Just concentrate on getting rid of Voldemort, OK?"

"Yeah." Eden flopped back onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling, not really seeing anything, but somehow not wanting to look at Sirius.

"I've got some potion for a dreamless sleep," he said quietly. "Would that help?"

She flashed him an appreciative grin, and he got up and left. He returned not long after and watched as she poured the potion into a goblet.

"The male Weasley's will be here in the morning," he reminded her. "Fleur and Molly have finally kicked them out to prepare for the wedding."

"Cool," she said as she prepared to drink. "I've been wanting to play Seeker against Charlie again for a while." She gulped down the potion in a most unlady-like manner and was almost instantly asleep.


	2. The Divide

**Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling. I am not Warner Brothers. I own nothing worth having, and have nothing worth owning. If you'd like to believe I'm rich, beautiful, talented and influential, that's OK. I'd like to believe that too.**

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The next morning, Eden was woken up quite rudely when the Weasley twins and their best friend Lee Jordan performed a rather fantastic flying leap, landing square on her bed. 

"Oooph!" she gasped as the air was knocked from her lungs. The boys immediately scrambled up, apologising.

"Sorry, Edes," said Fred. "Sirius said you'd be up already."

Eden waved her hand weakly, trying to draw the breath she so desperately craved. After a minute she felt better.

"Boys," she wheezed. "There will be death. Performed by me. Felt by you."

The three guys backed up even further.

"Sirius first, yeah?" suggested Lee.

Eden laughed. "Yeah, OK. Sirius first." She sat up, brushing a few strands of long black hair off her bare shoulder – the straps of her pyjama top had a bad habit of sliding off her shoulders and down her arms. "I seriously gotta cut my hair," she sighed.

George sat beside her. "Charlie prefers long hair," he said in a mischievous tone. Fred and Lee started sniggering, and Eden mock-glared.

"So?"

George shrugged, biting down a smile. "No reason. Just thought you might wanna keep that in mind."

"And have this mess get in the way when we hunt for the Horcruxes?" she said, turning grave. "Nah. I'll get your mum to do it after the wedding." Suddenly she shot up and jumped out the bed.

"Ah! Jeez! Some warning next time!" Fred gasped, tripping over in his rush to get out of the way.

"Oh. Sorry," she said breezily. Then... "Er, why are you all covering your eyes?"

"You could be naked!" Lee informed her.

"Could I?" she grinned. "Why boys, thank you for the permission."

Six eyes shot open and stared at her as she began to lift her pyjama top. The three young men rushed out as fast as they could before Sirius killed them for being in the same room as his naked goddaughter.

Laughing, Eden closed her door and quickly got changed. Not caring that she wasn't quite seventeen yet, she flicked her wand and made her bed. Another charm to get her hair in order, and she was ready to face the day ... and all Weasley's it offered.

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Eden made her way into the kitchen to see the eldest Weasley child sitting alone at the table. "Hi Bill!" she called cheerily, feeling a pang at the sight of the scars on his face.

"Hey kiddo," he replied, beckoning her over for a hug. She complied, sitting on his lap.

"I hear they kicked you out," she grinned.

"Yeah. Not that I'm complaining, mind. Scary stuff, wedding preparation."

Eden laughed. "I'm sure you'll live. Fleur wants to scare you your whole life, not just for another few days. Hi, Mr Weasley. Hey Charlie!"

The two Weasley men had just walked into the room, laughing at Eden's last statement.

"Hi Eden. Hope you don't mind, we're invading," Charlie said. "Mum and Fleur said we're not allowed to step foot in the Burrow until the night before the wedding."

"Oh, she doesn't mind," grinned Fred from behind his father. "You're – I mean, _we're_ – gonna be here for a full week. She'll have the time of her life."

"You think you're safe because you're over there and I'm not seventeen, don't you?" she said calmly. "Think again." She whipped out her wand, and water flew up from the pipes under the sink and shot towards Mr Weasley. Being the smart man that he was, he threw himself forward and out of harm's way, and the dirty, greasy water hit Fred fair in the face.

"Wow. That worked better than I thought it would," she said thoughtfully, looking at her wand. She glanced up when Fred began to splutter. "Whoops. Gotta go." She pecked Bill on the cheek and took off out the back door, Fred hot on her heels.

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The evening came much to soon for everyone's liking. Fred had gotten spectacular revenge against his friend (involving mud, partial nudity and Charlie), having enlisted the help of George and Lee. Eden, however, was not about to take the teaming up thing lying down, and made plans to recruit Bill and Charlie for the next day. She knew that after today, Charlie would agree, and Bill was always up for some fun. Still, it wouldn't've done for her dearest friends to know that, so she laughed off her embarrassment and agreed to call it quits. 

Not having a house-elf meant that Sirius, Remus and Eden shared cooking duties. Tonight was supposed to be Remus' night, but with the large crowd of Weasley's having descended upon them, they all pitched in. Remus was responsible for roasting the pork and the vegetables, Sirius commandeered the sauce arena (apple sauce being a speciality of his) and Eden took care of dessert. Ron, who had been largely ignored during the day, volunteered to set the table.

After a hearty dinner, Eden served dessert and her own special blend of coffee (and butterbeer for Ron, Lee and the twins), and they all sat on the back porch and watched as fairies flitted around the garden, looking for all the world (to the casual observer and any Muggles who happened to be about) like fireflies.

"Nervous?" Sirius said to Bill with a laconic grin.

"Terrified," Bill laughed. He looked over at Charlie and Eden, who looked like they were trying to hold a conversation without looking at each other. His twin brothers and Lee would look at them and occasionally burst into a fresh round of giggles, and Ron was looking incredibly bemused. Charlie had told Bill the prank their brothers and friend had pulled on Eden – making Charlie their unwitting accomplice in the process. Eden gave Bill a swift, pointed and appraising look. He nodded – he knew what she was asking, and he was in.

A loud sound, like thunder, tore through the air, and everyone jumped. Ron stood up, looking for signs of a storm. "Odd," he said. "No clouds."

Another loud rumble sounded and this time it was accompanied by a green flash of light. Arthur, Remus and Sirius jumped up and started to usher everyone inside, thinking the Death Eaters were nearby unleashing _Avada Kedavra_'s on an unsuspecting neighbourhood. Remus yanked Eden roughly to her feet – "come _on!_" – but she stopped and stared up with an open mouth.

"Remus. Look." She pointed at the sky. The green flash hadn't faded. In fact, it looked like a green fork of lightening.

And it was growing.

Very, _very_ quickly.

Remus stopped tugging Eden's arm and joined her in her state of open-mouthed astonishment. "What on Earth...? Sirius! Come here!"

Sirius and Arthur popped their heads out of the house.

"What is it, Moony?"

"That." Remus and Eden both pointed up at the sky.

"What the hell _is_ that?" Bill had come back out and was gazing up at the ever-growing green lightening fork. His brothers and Lee were quick to follow.

As the ten of them watched, the fork suddenly widened and green filled the whole sky and wind started picking up. In a matter of seconds, it felt as if a hurricane was on it's way. Eden clamped a hand to her forehead.

"Ow! Dammit!" Her nine male companions looked at her.

"Edes?" Lee said. "What's up?"

"Scar...hurts..." she gritted out. "Hey!"

Green smoky tendrils wrapped themselves around her body and began to drag her forward.


	3. Desperation

**A/N:** Chapter title was thought up by my brother PhelimReed. Read his fanfics here on fanfiction dot net.

**Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling. I am not Warner Brothers. I own nothing worth having, and have nothing worth owning. If you'd like to believe I'm rich, beautiful, talented and influential, that's OK. I'd like to believe that too.**

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…Previously, in "Crossing Worlds"… 

_As the ten of them watched, the fork suddenly widened and green filled the whole sky and wind started picking up. In a matter of seconds, it felt as if a hurricane was on its way. Eden clamped a hand to her forehead._

_"Ow! Dammit!" Her nine male companions looked at her._

_"Edes?" Lee said. "What's up?"_

_"Scar…hurts…" she gritted out. "Hey!"_

_Green smoky tendrils wrapped themselves around her body and began to drag her forward_.

Remus was dragged along too, as the tendrils had bound him to her where his hand still gripped her wrist.

"Hang on!" Sirius yelled, ignoring the exasperated looks Eden and Remus sent his way. He pulled out his wand and flung a _reducto_ at the tendrils.

"That only works on solid matter, Sirius," said Charlie. He took a more practical approach and grabbed Remus' arm, trying to pull him – and by extension, Eden – back into the house.

Everyone quickly caught on to Charlie's plan and formed a human chain, trying hard to drag Remus and Eden to safety. The smoky tendrils were having nothing of it, however, and tightened their grip. Remus' arm slipped from Charlie's grasp and the six Weasley men, Sirius and Lee landed in a heap as Remus and Eden were flung towards the green light.

Eden tried to tug the tendrils off with her free arm, but that was as ineffectual as Sirius' _reducto_. Remus raised his wand and aimed beyond Eden.

"_Protego invertus!_" he bellowed. Their backs slammed hard against an invisible wall. The tendrils were still pulling at them, but Remus' inverted Shield Charm was too strong. Unfortunately, he couldn't sustain it for much longer.

"_Protego invertus!_" The combined power of Arthur, Sirius, Bill, Charlie, Ron, Fred, George and Lee added to Remus' shield did the trick.

Gradually, the wind began to die down, and as it did, the pain in Eden's forehead lessened and she was able to think a little more clearly.

_Obviously, whatever's going on here, Voldemort's involved,_ she thought.

Relaxing her mind, she travelled along the mental connection she shared with the Dark Lord, hoping to see what he was up to. He had been using Occlumency against her for a year – a year without blinding, agonising visions – so she knew she needed to find out as much as she could from this lapse before he remembered.

Flashes – memories – invaded her mind. Or rather, she pulled them from his mind. Potions brewed, incantations spoken, many hexes and curses cast...and death. So much death. So much blood, used for the darkest of magicks. And at the end of it all, a feeling of pure, savage triumph. He/she had done it – created a portal to another world – a parallel world.


	4. She's Leaving Home

**A/N:** Chapter title is a song by The Beatles. It just seemed to fit.

**Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling. I am not Warner Brothers. I own nothing worth having, and have nothing worth owning. If you'd like to believe I'm rich, beautiful, talented and influential, that's OK. I'd like to believe that too.**

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Eden snapped back into her own mind and thought for a second. She looked down at her wrist. Remus still had his hand fastened around it, but the tendrils had dissipated. She yanked herself free and darted around the edge of the shield. She _knew_ that Voldemort had crossed through already, and that anything with a deep connection with him was supposed to be dragged through too. That meant Eden herself – and the Horcruxes. 

"No!" Fred tackled her and pinned her down.

"Fred Weasley! Get the hell off me!" she yelled, trying to squirm out from under him.

"Eden, are you insane?!" he demanded. Eden cast an anxious glance at the closing portal.

"Fred. I've _got_ to go through! This is Voldemort's work. He's on the other side – and so are the Horcruxes! I can't kill him if I'm here and he's there!"

"You don't know what you'll find! Isn't it enough to know he's gone?"

Eden gave him a look of pure disbelief. "You're telling me that as long as he's not here, everything's gonna be OK? That it doesn't matter that there's a whole world of people he can hurt, because it's not _our_ world?"

Fred blinked. "Another world?"

"Yes! What did you _think_ the other side was?"

"I don't know! Anywhere but here, I guess."

"You _can't_ go through unprepared, anyway," piped up George, crouching down beside them. Everyone else crowded around.

Eden ground her teeth in frustration. Already the portal was to small for her to go through easily – and it was still shrinking. She redoubled her efforts to free herself, but stopped at Fred's grin. He was still a red-blooded twenty-year-old, after all.

She was surprised, therefore, when Bill reached forward and yanked the necklace she wore off from around her neck. Finally pushing Fred off her body, she sat up and watched in confusement as Bill and Sirius performed a series of spells on it. Bill tossed the necklace back to Eden. She caught it and looked at it. It was the fake Horcrux she and Dumbledore had retrieved the night he was murdered. A bolt of lightening issued from the portal and struck the locket, zapping Eden in the process.

"Ow! _Bugger!_" She dropped the fake Horcrux and sucked at her burnt fingertips. Looking up, she was just in time to see the portal close. "Double bugger!" She had failed, and Dumbledore had died for nothing.

"Don't worry," said Sirius, dropping to the ground in front of her. "You're still planning on going after him, aren't you?"

"And _how_ am I meant to do that _now_?" she demanded, giving Fred the most evil death glare she could muster. He winced.

"We've transfigured that pendant into a tracking device," explained Bill. "No matter where or when Voldemort is, you break it, and you'll be led straight to him."

Eden looked up at him hopefully. "You mean it?"

"Yup. But it's short-lived."

"Meaning…?"

"Meaning that if you're gonna use it, you'll have to use it within 24 hours."

"I can do that." Eden pulled out her wand and aimed it at the locket.

"Hang on!" George pulled her arm down. "What did I say earlier?" Eden shrugged, and George rolled his eyes. "You can't go through unprepared!"

Eden paused, pursed her lips and nodded. "You're right. I need to pack some stuff."

"Some stuff?" Remus raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. You know: clothes…books…_stuff._" She jumped up and ran into the house. Racing upstairs into her room, she stopped. _What exactly do I need?_ she thought. _Underwear. Clothes! Durable clothes. Warm, too. Books. Gonna need books to help find the Horcruxes._ _What else? Firebolt! Yes. Gonna need transport. Oh, and money. Money would be good._

Eden stared around her room. She had lived there since the end of her third year – she had flat-out refused to return to the Dursley's after learning about Sirius, and Dumbledore couldn't legally force her to. So he did the next best thing. He set Remus up in a house that was only a ten minute walk from the Burrow, and Eden moved in. Sirius joined them as Padfoot until he had been cleared of all charges at the end of her fifth year (even Fudge had to admit that one of Voldemort's followers would never try and _protect _Eden Potter from the Dark Lord and his minions), and the three of them had lived there since. There was – according to Eden – a kazillion protection charms and wards surrounding the place, but she was living in a supportive, non-abusive environment, and practically next-door to two of her three best friends, and she had never been happier. Even Dumbledore had to admit that the transfer had been for the best. Eden's magic, health and self-esteem had flourished … as had her mutual hatred with Hogwarts' former Potions Master, Severus Snape. She wondered if she would ever see her room again. Then she shook herself out of it. Sentimentality had never been one of her strongest suits.

She marched over to her wardrobe and pulled out a small, purple suitcase. Remus and Sirius had given it to her as a gift for passing all her OWLs. She called it her Mary Poppins bag. It was tiny – measuring only 45cm tall by 20cm wide – but they had charmed it so that she could fit practically anything in there. She opened it and began packing. Her drawers were emptied into it – no time for folding – and all her books were dumped into it as well. While on the topic of books, she marched into the library. There were a lot of books that had been moved from Sirius' childhood home of Grimmauld Place that could prove to be useful in her mission, so she levitated them from the bookshelves and back into her room.

"You taking the whole house?" asked Sirius from the doorway, sounding amused.

"I'll leave the kitchen sink," she promised with a distracted smile. She had a feeling she was forgetting something. _What was it…? Oh yeah!_ She crossed over to the window and opened it. "_Accio_ Firebolt!" she called, and within a few seconds it was there. She carefully stowed her beloved broomstick into her suitcase, took another look around, and spied her cauldron and stock of potions. _Could come in handy_, she mused, and packed those too.

"I hope you realise, Eden, that I'm not letting you go alone," Sirius said. Eden turned and stared at him in astonishment.

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I say. If you go, you're taking at least one other person along. I'd like to be that person, if you don't mind."

"I do. Mind, that is," she said frankly. "What I have to do is dangerous. I don't want anyone to get hurt, and when I get home, I'd like my family to be here waiting for me."

Sirius was stunned. He didn't think she would have refused his offer. "And what about Lee? And the Weasley twins?" he said finally.

Eden sighed. "Sirius, they're my best friends. They've been with me ever since my first year, when I fought against Quirrell and Voldemort over the Philosopher's Stone."

"And I haven't." Sirius didn't bother to hide his hurt or disappointment.

"No," she said gently. "You haven't."

He glared at her, his eyes becoming bright as his throat tightened. "James would've –"

"I'm _not_ James! I'm not Lily, either. In less than two weeks, I'll legally be an adult, but I've had to act like one since I started Hogwarts!" Eden was getting frustrated with Sirius' pigheadedness. "Your time as an adventurous world saving young man is _over_, Sirius! This isn't your fight, nor is it Remus'. It's mine. Voldemort chose _me_ when I was a year old. And guess what? Now I choose him."

"You don't need us anymore." Tears threatened to spill, but he didn't try to disguise them.

"_Yes!_ I _do!_" she insisted. "And that's why I can't let you come with me, either of you. I need you to be here when I come home." Her own emerald eyes were bright, but softer than Sirius'. She hugged him tightly. "What I've got to do isn't going to be easy," she continued, her voice muffled because her face was buried in his shoulder. "I know that. And adjusting to life without the threat of Voldemort looming over us is going to be just as hard. And _that's_ when I need you."

Sirius wrapped his arms around his goddaughter. "Yeah. I know. But you're still not going alone!"

"No, she isn't," came Lee's voice from behind them. "The twins are going with her. They've just gone home to pack."

Eden unwrapped herself from Sirius to peer at Lee. "You're not coming?" She sounded disappointed.

"Nah. Someone's gotta stay home and look after the shop." His voice said he didn't mind; his eyes said he wanted to go, but had drawn the short straw. "They said to meet them in the yard."

"OK." She shrunk down her suitcase, put it in her pocket and smiled sadly at Sirius. "You gonna walk me down?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

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The twins Apparated into the backyard fifteen minutes later, along with Bill. All three were holding trunks, which they promptly shrunk down and placed in their pockets.

"Bill?" Arthur said. "What're you doing?"

"Going with them," he shrugged. "Not that I don't have faith that they can do … whatever the hell it is they're off to do, but chances are they'll need someone who's had experience with curses and whatnot."

"And what did Fleur say to that?" Charlie asked with a raised brow.

"Ah." Bill looked distinctly shifty. "I didn't exactly tell her." Eden, Lee and the twins sniggered.

"Wimp," Fred muttered.

"And we know Eden well enough to know she'd've put her foot down and stopped you two," here George pointed at Sirius and Remus, "from going along."

Everyone stood around awkwardly for a few moments until Eden broke the silence.

"Right then! If we're going, we may as well do it now." She held the fake Horcrux in one hand and pointed her wand at it, glancing up at George. "If we're all ready?"

The three Weasley's nodded, and Eden cast a _reducto_ at the locket. It shattered and the same green light from before filled the yard. Those who were to remain retreated to the back verandah, and the three Weasley's waved farewell before stepping into the light.

"Don't wait up!" Eden called. She grinned, waved and walked through too.


	5. This Ain't Kansas

**A/N:** Chapter title is actually the name of a _Stargate SG-1_ fanfic on deviantART by a friend of mine, who goes by the username "Dreams-of-Skies". Any _SG-1_ fan should go read it.

This chapter doesn't really do much for the story from a plot point of view – I just wanted to get introductions and personalities out of the way. Sorry if it's a bit long!

**Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling. I am not Warner Brothers. I'm not Tom Jones, either, and don't own any rights to "Sex Bomb", either.**

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Eden came out on the other side and glanced around. She recognised some of the trees that surrounded the area she was in, and realised that she hadn't actually moved from her previous spot…except for the fact that she was now in another world.

The Weasley men were standing off to one side, apparently waiting for her. She walked over to them and they looked expectantly at her.

"Now what?" George said.

"Now," said an unexpected but familiar voice, "you tell us who you are, what you're doing here, and how you got through the – _Bill? _But I thought…" Charlie trailed off, staring at them with a confused expression.

"Through the Bill?" Fred muttered. Bill swatted him in the arm and walked forward.

"Charlie? What are you doing here? I thought you were staying behind," he said.

"Staying behind?" Charlie was even more confused now. He could have _sworn_ Fleur had dragged her fiancée off for final fittings before the Big Day, so what the hell was Bill talking about?

"Um, Bill?" said Eden quietly. He turned back to her. "I don't think that's Charlie. Not _our_ Charlie, at any rate."

"Huh?"

"Parallel world, remember?"

"Bill?" Charlie interrupted. "Guys? Who is _she?_ And how did you get her through the wards without any of the Auror's noticing?" _And why does she look familiar?_ he added to himself silently.

"What do you mean, _who is __**she?**_" Bill repeated, his brow furrowing slightly. "She's Eden."

People swooped down from the sky and pointed their wands at Eden and her three friends. More came out of the tree line. The four interdimensional travellers stared at the latter ones. Among them was Ron, Hermione Granger, for some reason, a black-haired boy…and another set of Weasley twins.

Eden blinked a few times to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her – it happened sometimes when the corrective charm she used on her eyesight needed renewing. But nope. Still two sets of twins.

_Cool_, she thought. _If there're duplicates of us in this world, I wonder where I am. _Her eyes roved over the group again, and settled on the black-haired boy. _Black hair…green eyes…lightening bolt shaped scar on the forehead… _"Argh! I'm a dude!" she cried, pointing at the boy and jumping behind George.

Everyone's eyes flicked between the two Potters. Both sets of twins cracked up simultaneously.

"You make a good-looking girl, Harry!" catcalled the other Fred.

"You make a skinny boy, Edes," sniggered her George.

"I hate you," she muttered, stepping out from behind him. She darted forward before anyone on either side could stop her and pulled Harry out into the open. She circled him, casting a critical teenage-girl eye over him. "Bugger," she said softly. "He's right. I _do_ make for one skinny boy."

Harry came to his senses. "OK," he snarled. "Who are you?"

"I'm _you_," Eden shrugged. "Well, you as you should be. Dunno what happened for you to get the Y chromosome. You must've been some kind of evil in a past life. Don't you eat? I've seen anorexics with more meat on their bones. Oh, and hi. I'm Eden. I come from a parallel world." She said this last bit quite perkily, and Harry was completely lost.

"Say again?"

"Which part?"

"The part where you're from…"

"Oh, right! I'm Eden. I come from a parallel world."

This time around the words finally sunk into Harry's brain, as well as Hermione Granger's.

"That's impossible," she said with an air of finality.

"Well, that can be _your_ little secret," Eden said, fixing the bushy-haired girl with a sneer.

"Nice sneer!" said Fred admiringly.

"Oh, you like?" she said, turning around and smiling innocently. "I've been practising."

Everyone within hearing distance snorted, and Eden's grin lost some of its innocence, gaining a rather mischievous bent. Her long-time friends Fred and George grinned identical evil grins. After so many years of being around Eden, they knew her every smile. Unfortunately, everyone else knew _their_ smiles – and were quick to prevent any trouble.

"Right," growled Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody. "If you're who you say you are, you won't mind coming with us, will you?"

"Not at all," Eden said seriously.

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"Now, again. Your name."

"Eden Lily Potter."

"Date of Birth."

"July 31st, 1980."

"Parents."

"James Edward Potter and Lily Michelle Evans."

It was three hours on. Moody had led the entire group to the kitchen of the Burrow and dosed Eden up with Veritaserum, and had been interrogating her for over an hour. But no matter how often he asked the questions, the answers were always the same. Bill had returned by then, and he and his twin brothers were keeping their doppelgängers held at wandpoint, backed up by Remus, Tonks, Molly, Arthur, Charlie, Ron, Hermione, Harry and Minerva McGonagall, who had been there on Order business.

"What year are you in at school?"

"I just finished my sixth year at Hogwarts." Her voice cracked on the last word.

Remus Lupin leaned forward from the kitchen table. "What happened last year?" he asked gently.

For the first time, Eden started to resist the effects of the truth potion. It wouldn't do for them to learn the whole truth – she had no idea how much Harry had told the Order about the Horcruxes, but had a feeling it wasn't much more than she had. In a word: nothing.

"Quite a bit," she replied truthfully. She couldn't _lie _under the influence of Veritaserum, but she _could_ omit certain truths. "Katie Bell ended up in St Mungos after touching a cursed necklace, and Horace Slughorn – he was our Potions Master for the year – died after drinking some poisoned mead. And…and Professor Dumbledore was murdered by Severus Snape." Tears rolled down her face. She hadn't always seen eye-to-eye with her aged teacher, and had called him out a few times when he tried to control her life beyond the extent of his authority, but she had cared for and trusted deeply in the old man, and his death shook her to the core.

Remus paused. Her emotion certainly _seemed_ genuine. He shared a glance with Moody, who shrugged. _Just a few more questions_.

"How did you get here?"

"Voldemort," she said, drawing a shaky breath. "He…did something, something bad, to create a portal between parallel worlds."

"Is that possible?" Remus asked, looking around.

"Muggle scientists have theorized that there are an infinite number of dimensions, each containing a different possible version of reality," replied Eden, thinking that he had asked her directly.

"Meaning?" growled Moody.

"Meaning that a new reality is created for every conceivable outcome of every decision ever made."

"That's insane," whispered Ron. He was pale and his freckles stood out starkly against his skin. "There's no way." He looked wildly up at Hermione. "Is there?"

She was torn. It _was_ insane. She'd quite publicly said herself that it was impossible. But, admittedly, it now looked very possible. _Make that probable_, she amended, looking at the new Bill, George and Fred. So much time had passed, and they hadn't changed into anyone, which ruled out Polyjuice Potion.

"Mad-Eye?" said Remus finally. "Give her the antidote. As impossible as it sounds, I think she's telling us the truth."

"Of course she is," replied Moody. "I brewed this myself. It's more potent than any other Veritaserum I've ever made. She couldn't lie if she tried. But what she's saying is…is…_madness!_" He sighed and gave her the antidote.

"_Blech,_" she said, her face wrinkling with disgust and wiping the tears off her face. "Why do antidotes always taste so _nasty?_" She turned to Moody. "You satisfied now?" He nodded shortly. "Does that mean _they're_ free to go?" She indicated her friends, and their doubles looked at Moody inquisitively. Another short nod from him and the wands were lifted. Their own wands were also returned, having been taken off them along with their shrunken luggage.

"So…what now?" asked Harry. He was still a little weirded out that his double from a parallel world (and that in itself was mind boggling) was a girl.

"Now we play 'getting to know you'," Eden replied. "I'll start. Harry: favourite colour?"

"Um, red, I guess. You?"

"Purple. Also silver and black. Do you play Quidditch?"

"Yeah. Youngest Seeker on the Gryffindor Team in –"

"– A century? Yeah, same here. Well, when did you move out of the Dursley's?"

"A week ago."

"…Say what?" Eden was dumbfounded. "Only a week? Well, that _does_ explain why you're so skinny. They can't really afford to feed anyone other than Dudley, can they?"

Harry sniggered, then something she said struck him. "Wait. When did _you_ move out?"

"End of third year," Eden shrugged. "I refused to go back after I met Remus and Sirius, and no one could legally force me to other than the Dursley's themselves, and _they_ weren't about to, were they?"

Harry sat there with an open mouth. "Not…not even _Dumbledore?_"

"Of course not," she said calmly. "He was my Headmaster, not my legal guardian."

"But…but what about the protection that Dumbledore placed around your relatives house?" Hermione demanded.

"What about it?"

"What happened to it? Is it still in force?"

Eden looked thoughtful. "D'you know, I haven't really thought about it. I wouldn't think so, not after all this time."

"But what about You-Know-Who?" Ron began before Eden cut him off in exasperation.

"What _is _it with this whole "You-Know-Who" business?" she demanded. "It's like he's everybody's secret crush or something! No one I hang around says that anymore. We all just say 'Voldemort', 'Voldie' or 'Volders'. "

Both Bill's, who had been drinking a cup of tea, choked on their mouthful of hot liquid and both sets of twins burst into laughter. Everyone else just stared at her, although Remus' mouth was twitching in a rather alarming manner.

"Eden!" spluttered her Bill. "Don't _say_ things like that!"

"Why not?" she said with an innocent smile that fooled no one. "I mean, it's not as if "Voldemort" is even a real name. It's an _anagram_ of his real name. How can people be scared of an anagram?"

"Not _that_," he replied, still coughing a little. "The crush bit."

"_Ohhhhh_," she said in understanding. "_That._ Why not? It's true."

"It's _disturbing!_" Ron said.

"Well, then, use his name."

"I can't! I…I just can't."

"Got anything against the name Tom?"

"No…"

"Then call him Tom. Like Tom Jones." Eden grinned and started singing. "_Sex bomb, sex bomb, you're my sex bomb_…wow. That just takes me to all sorts of dark mental places. Boys, say something. Distract me."

"Suggestive Solution," smirked Fred.

"Ooooh, yeah! That was awesome! Although more than a little disturbing too," joined in George.

"Which time?" chortled Eden.

"You used it more than once?" Bill said with a raised eyebrow. "I thought you promised Remus never again."

"Hey! He lifted the ban!" Eden defended herself. "But yeah, I used it again in fifth year. _Whole _lotta nightmares goin' on _that_ year." She, Fred and George shuddered.

"Something tells me you're a bit of a practical joker," Harry interjected.

"Just a bit." Eden's tone was nonchalant, but her eyes sparkled with mischief.

"How much of a prankster are you?" Harry's Fred asked.

"You want the long explanation or the short one?" Eden's Fred replied.

"Before anyone explains anything," Eden said quickly, "I want to sort out names. I'll not be saying "my Fred, George or Bill" and "the other Fred, George and Bill" for the whole time we're here."

Fred dropped to his knees and stared soulfully up at the assembled crowd. "I am Fabio, the most beautiful man in the cosmos, including the black holes!" he proclaimed.

"Fred!" Eden exclaimed, turning to him and biting back a grin.

"Fine. Call me … call me _Ford," _he said, grinning at Eden. She blew him a kiss.

"Geordi," said George.

"Braeden."

"Braeden?" Eden was taken aback. "_Nice,_" she added appreciatively.

"I've always liked the name," Bill shrugged.

Ford turned to Fred. "So? Long explanation or short?"

"Short."

"She's hung out with us and Lee since her first year," Ford replied, making it clear that that was the whole thing.

"Seems we've got the time for the long explanation too," Bill said.

"First year, she got our help to time some explosions in Potions. Snape was seriously ticked off that day. She also locked Filch and Peeves into a room together and – again, with our help – charmed the room so neither could get out until one admitted defeat."

"She must've raked in about eighty galleons from the bets alone that day," chimed in Geordi. "And then there was that whole thing with Voldemort and the Philosopher's Stone." Eden grinned at the expressions on Fred and George's faces.

"Second year, we brewed our first batch of Suggestive Solution. The four of us worked hard on developing that particular potion."

"How does it work?" George asked eagerly.

"Uh, OK. You know Muggle Repelling Charms, how they sort of force Muggles to suddenly remember urgent appointments and the like?" Eden said, trying to explain it properly.

"Yeah…"

"Well, it sort of works like that. You have an idea in your head when you pour the potion – say, you want Ron to proclaim his everlasting love to Fleur in the middle of her vows. You think about that while you add the potion to his drink or food, and then after he's taken it, he'll feel as if nothing is right with the world unless he does it."

"Sounds like the Imperius Curse," said Remus.

"It really does, doesn't it?" Eden replied regretfully. "But you're not forced to do it. What I mean is, if Ron has enough willpower and _doesn't_ say anything, the feeling will pass after the vows have been said and no one is any wiser. What the potion does is plant the _suggestion_ in the drinker's mind. The person has the power and right to decide whether or not it's worth doing. Fortunately, Snape never got that."

Three identical evil grins were beaming from Ford, Geordi and Eden's faces. Braeden hid his face in his hands, shoulders shaking from laughter. He'd seen the memories – he knew what was coming.

"What happened with Snape?" Harry demanded, clearly fascinated. Braeden's laughter became more obvious.

"Eden spiked the drinks of Snape, Lockhart, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Flint," Geordi said, grinning like a fiend. "She had them perform a song and dance number in the middle of the Duelling Club, complete with costumes. Snape was a sailor, Lockhart was…what was he again?"

"Construction worker," Eden said. "Malfoy was an Indian – big mistake, I've never been blinded by so much pasty flesh before or since. Um…Crabbe and Goyle were a cowboy and cop respectively and Flint –"

"Flint was a biker?" Hermione said, a small smile beginning to form.

"Yeah." Eden sounded surprised. "You guys did it too?"

"No, but I know The Village People when I hear them. What song did you do?"

"_Macho Macho Man._"

Hermione began to giggle as she visualised it. Harry looked repulsed.

"That is seriously disturbing," he said, and shuddered.

"Wait 'til we get to my fifth year," Eden smirked. Harry was starting to look alarmed, but Geordi and Ford didn't give him a chance to protest.

"Anyway, after that, she suggested Lockhart put on a small play if he insisted on using his students for re-enactments. That way, he could see who would be the more convincing actors and help get across his obvious heroism better," Ford continued.

"Ate it right up, didn't he?" Geordi grinned.

"Too right he did. Anyway, one Saturday, he got all the Gryffindor second years to put on _Cinderella _in the Great Hall, after Eden had told him that everyone would naturally associate the Prince with him, even if he didn't get to play the part because of the whole teacher thing. Stupid sod didn't think to put a script together –" Here Ford broke off, laughing. Geordi took up the slack.

"Eden, because it was her idea, had to play Cinderella. Hermione was the wicked stepmother _and _the ugly stepsisters. Dean Thomas was the Fairy Godmother –" He was interrupted as the whole kitchen was suddenly filled with laughter. Laughing himself, he continued. "Because there was no script, everyone was just following their leads. Dean had to wear this ridiculous pink sparkly gown…" He trailed off, unable to continue. Fred and George were howling with laughter, and Ron was clutching his sides.

In the midst of the merriment, Eden hopped up and made herself a coffee. She had a feeling the long version was going to take a while, and she needed the caffeine to sustain her.

Ford got himself back under control. "Anyway, so Dean's in this dress, and he's all "you gotta be back by midnight!" And so Eden says "what the hell for?" And Dean goes "'cause if you're not, I'll make you marry the Prince," at which point Eden points out that's the whole point of the story, so Dean says "oh yeah. Just get back at midnight or I'll make you wear my dress.""

Eden shuddered. "Effective deterrent if ever there was one."

"So she gets in her 'carriage', which is really only a cardboard cut-out, and Patil and Brown are the mice. She says "mush!" and Dean's all "hang on, woman, I've gotta give you your ball gown!" and she holds up a blue version of Dean's dress and says "never mind, I'll get changed on the way!""

Bill was laughing so hard he got the hiccups, and Braeden had tears running down his face. Ginny and Hermione clutched at each other, trying to stay upright. Ron and Harry were slumped on the floor. Everyone else was laughing fit to burst.

"Anyway, so the scene changes," Eden said, finally telling part of the story. "And I'm at the ball. Seamus Finnegan is the Prince, right, and Neville Longbottom is the King's attendant…only there's no King. So the Irish is jumping back and forth between the King and the Prince."

"When they get to the part where Cinderella loses her shoe, Eden lifts up the hem of her dress off the floor to reveal she was wearing joggers," Geordi said, controlling his laughter enough to keep going. "And Seamus is all like "where are your glass slippers?" And Eden says "_you _try wearing shoes made of glass! I like being able to walk, if it's all the same!" So he says "fair enough. Maybe you should just tell me your name." Eden looks at him as if he's nuts. "There's no time for that! It's almost midnight, and if I'm not gone by then, my dress'll turn pink!" So she starts trying to pull off her shoe and then Dean shouts out "oi! It's midnight! Get over here!" But Eden's having problems getting her shoe off, so Seamus says, "Look, Eden, it'd be just be faster if you told me your name!" She insists there's no time, finally rips her shoe off and chucks it at him, hitting him square in the forehead and damn near knocking him out. Then she does a runner down the Hall and out the door!"

"The scene changes, and Eden comes back in and sits at the teacher's table," Ford continued. "Seamus pretends to be looking for her and when he gets to her, she yanks her shoe out of his hand and says "It's about damn time! My foot was starting to freeze!" And Seamus is getting sick of the play and says "yeah well, I'm the Prince and I'll take as long as I please, peasant." Eden looks up, all shocked, and says, "Bite me. Did you want something?" And Seamus says, "We've gotta get married now and provide an heir for the Kingdom", and Eden slaps him across the face and yells "Pervert! I'm only twelve!" and Seamus yells back "Well, so am I!" Eden just looks at him and says "Why do you want to get married then?" and he says "It's in the script." She says "There is no script" and so he replies "Oh yeah. Let's forget about it then" and she goes "OK". And then Dean pops back and says "they'll live happily ever after when they're old enough to. The end." Madam Pomfrey had to treat over a hundred kids who had managed to hurt themselves 'cause they fell down laughing, d'you remember?"

Everyone tried to collect themselves. Remus had a stitch in his side. Bill, Braeden, Ron, Harry and Ginny were having breathing problems. Everyone else had tears running down their faces and Eden was choking over her coffee. Moody pounded her on the back a few times until she signalled she was OK.

Ford took a shaky breath. "Anyway, on top of all that, she also saved Ginny from Tom Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets. And in her _third_ year," he continued, "she befriended a big black dog that turned out to be Sirius Black. She would sneak him into the castle and terrorise Trelawney into thinking that she – Eden – controlled the Grim."

"That's so mean!" Ginny objected. Eden shrugged.

"You get over it eventually."

"But, admittedly," said Geordi. "Pranks were pretty much simple that year. Illegally sneaking out to Hogsmeade, finding out about her Marauder heritage –"

"Her _what?_" George interrupted. Geordi shrugged.

"Eden is James Potter's daughter. When he was at Hogwarts with Sirius, Remus and Pettigrew, they called themselves The Marauders. James was called Prongs, Sirius was Padfoot, Remus was Moony and Pettigrew was Wormtail. Haven't you heard of them?"

"Actually," said Fred, sending a death glare Harry's way. "We _have_. We gave Harry the Map in his third year. And you didn't think to tell us that your father was one of our heroes?"

Harry looked nonplussed. "I _did_ tell you. I'm sure I did."

Fred and George shook their heads.

"Oh. Well, now you know." At the twins' continued glare, he turned to Geordi and said hurriedly, "What else happened?"

"Oh. Well, we gave Eden the Map – it rightfully belonged to her, anyway – and she found out some stuff about her father. We met Sirius for real, found out the truth about him and rescued Buckbeak from Lucius Malfoy's pal McNair. Eden conjured a Patronus that held off a hundred Dementors!"

"A stag," Harry said with a knowing smile.

"No. A grizzly," she replied, frowning slightly. "I mean, no offence to Dad and all, but a stag's kind've wimpy. Why would I have one as a Patronus?"

"My Patronus is a stag," he said coldly.

"More power to ya."

"Why isn't yours?" Ginny asked. "I mean, if you and Harry are essentially the same person…?"

"An individual's Patronus' appear as the one thing they need the most to protect them from a Dementor," Remus explained. "I think it's safe to say that Eden doesn't think a stag would make much of a protector."

"Well, _no_," she said frankly. "And I mean, let's face. There ain't nothin' and no one that messes with a grizzly. At least," she amended with a wry smile, "that's what I thought before I found out dragons and manticores and chimeras and the like existed. _Anyway_, in my fourth year we had the TriWizard Tournament, and my name was submitted by a Death Eater."

"Barty Crouch Jr?" Harry asked, no longer making assumptions. "He posed as Mad-Eye here in my fourth year and entered me into the Tournament."

"Yeah, same here," she agreed. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you. That tournament was awesome!"

"It…_was?_" Hermione squeaked. "After everything that happened, you can _say_ that?"

"What do you mean, _after everything that happened?_" Eden was puzzled. "I got past a dragon with my mad Quidditch skills, the boys taught me some self-transfiguration for the second task – I make one good lookin' merperson – _especially_ in comparison to the real ones that live in the lake. As for the third task, they made sure I was good to go on a whole heap of hexes and jinxes and what have you."

"She's…she's talking about what happened with Cedric," Ginny explained in a hushed tone.

Eden was puzzled. "What happened with Cedric?" she repeated. "Nothing hap…oh, my…did…you and Cedric…?" She looked at Harry in complete fascination. He nodded and took a sip of his now ice-cold tea to hid his face. "_You had a gay affair with the Hufflepuff?!_" she squealed. Harry choked on his tea.

"_What?_" he gasped, hacking and coughing. Everybody else burst out laughing again.

"I mean, I congratulate you on your taste – that boy is _hot_, it's a fact – but I just assumed, well, you know. That you were straight."

"I _am!_" he asserted. "Cedric _died!_"

Eden blinked. "Oh. How the hell did that happen?"

"He was murdered. By Wormtail, on Voldemort's orders."

"You went to the graveyard alone?" asked Hermione.

"Well, yeah. But not by choice. The Cup was a Portkey."

"Yes, we know. But why didn't Cedric go with you?"

"I had a head start in the maze, I reached the cup before anyone else did." Eden's tone was matter-of-fact. She paused. "I take it Harry didn't."

"No. You came first in the previous tasks?"

"Yep."

"Cedric and I, we tied first place at the start of the third task," Harry said in a low voice. He kept his eyes firmly on the table. "I reached the centre of the maze first, but was attacked by a giant spider. I injured my leg in the fight – Cedric saved me. He could've grabbed the Cup for himself, but insisted I take it. I said he should, he refused. So I suggested we take it together. We were transported to the graveyard. Voldemort said "Kill the spare", and Wormtail shot a Killing Curse right at Cedric."

"That's awful," Eden breathed, clearly shocked. "Poor Cedric." She looked at Harry until he looked up and stared him straight in the eye. "That must've made Voldemort's return worse than it should've been." Harry nodded.

"He came back and summoned his Death Eaters. We duelled and our wands connected…well, you know what happened next."

"No. I don't."

"How can you not? Voldemort's wand is brothers with ours – both cores came from Fawkes."

"Not my wand," Eden said, shaking her head. She held it up. "Ebony and chimera scale," she said.

"I didn't know Ollivander did chimera scale cores," Tonks said interestedly.

"He doesn't anymore," Eden shrugged. "Too much risk in getting the core, and not enough suitability for it to pay off, apparently. He'd made this wand _years _before on a whim, he said. It was sitting in the window of his shop when Hagrid took me to get my stuff for my first year. I picked it up and started twirling it around. Ollivander came out, saw the jet of sparks coming from the wand and me almost having a heart attack 'cause I thought I broke the damn thing and said that was the easiest match-up for a wand he's ever had. Cost me ten galleons, too, but it's a good wand. Worth every knut. But what happened when you duelled with Voldemort?"

"Our wands connected and _Priori Incantatum_ came into effect. A shadow version of Cedric came shooting out the end of his wand, along with an old Muggle man he'd killed and a witch named Bertha Jorkins…and Mum and Dad."

"What a night," Eden said gently.

"Anyway, I broke the connection and the shadows formed a barrier between us, which gave me enough time to get to Cedric's body and _accio_ the Portkey. What happened that night for you?"

Eden closed her eyes, remembering that night a little over two years before. "Not that much different happened," she admitted. "The main difference was that I was alone. Pettigrew knocked me out and tied me to Tom Riddle Senior's headstone – bit kinky, that – and forcibly took some of my blood. Voldemort rose – and I don't mind tellin' ya, he is a whole new breed of ugly. He tried to AK me, I blocked with _expelliarmus_ and in the resulting flash we were both blinded for a few seconds. I threw myself backwards and smashed into a headstone. I scrambled behind it – just in time too, I think, because my vision started returning. I could hear Nagini – you know, Voldemort's snake – telling him where to find me. I had no intention of dying just then so I kept to the headstones as much as I could. Voldemort began blowing up every one in sight, but I reached the Portkey before he reached me." She shivered. "I still have nightmares about not getting away."

Ford and Geordi crossed the room and arranged themselves around her. Ford stood behind her chair and Geordi sat on the floor, leaning his head back against her thigh. After a few moments of awkward silence, Braeden spoke up.

"So what happened in fifth year?"

Eden gave a small laugh. "Ah. Fifth year with darling Dolores."

"Did you have the illegal Defence Against the Dark Arts group?" grinned Remus.

"Yeah," Geordi said. "Granger talked Eden into doing it."

"Not that Eden ever needs much persuasion to show off her "mad skills"," laughed Ford.

"I've been wondering," Hermione spoke up before Eden could retaliate. "What do _I_ think of all your pranking?"

"You're probably full of stiff-necked, tight-lipped, butt-clenching disapproval," Eden said, shrugging as both sets of twins sniggered. "Haven't a clue, really. We're not exactly friends – or friendly – you and I."

"We're not?" Hermione was astonished and a little hurt. "Well, what about Ron? Do you hang around him?"

"Nope," Eden said, shrugging again. "Just these two and Lee, really. Seamus, Dean and I sometimes study together – Neville too. He'd help us with Herbology, we'd help him with everything else. But for the most part, I hang around these guys."

"Anyway," Ford said, trying to wrap things up. All these trivial interruptions were starting to bug him. "We made life as miserable for Umbridge as we could. She banned the three of us from Quidditch – stupid cow – and we got worse. Eden wrote home asking for advice, Remus wrote back saying she could use the Suggestive Solution, so we did."

"I spiked Snape and Umbridge's drinks with it, suggesting they slip the other a powerful love potion. Only it backfired quite spectacularly," said Eden, shuddering again.

"It didn't work?" Braeden asked.

"Oh, no. It worked," replied Eden in a gloomy voice. "In the end it seemed you couldn't walk five steps without bumping coming across them snogging like teenagers in not-so-dark-and-private places."

Everyone in the room shuddered at the mental image presented.

"Nasty," said Ginny.

"_Oh_ yeah," Eden agreed. "_Extremely_. On the plus side, they were both reprimanded by the Ministry for "indecent conduct displayed before minors". Since Umbridge was temporary Headmistress by then, Fudge went ballistic, mostly because he couldn't replace her without looking like a fool. He stripped her of her power, though, and set up Kingsley Shacklebolt at the school – said he could look for Sirius just as well there and keep an eye on things at Hogwarts at the same time."

"Then in the middle of the OWLs, Eden got this vision from Voldemort, he'd captured Sirius and was torturing him in the Department of Mysteries."

"Yeah," said Ron sadly. "Harry got the same vision. Only it was a fake, wasn't it?"

"Of course it was," said Eden. "But Sirius came up with a plan, didn't he?"

"Er…did he?" Harry sounded shocked. Eden looked at him strangely.

"Didn't you tell him about your vision?"

"No. I…I couldn't contact him through Umbridge's fire. You did?"

"No. I used this two-way mirror he gave me. You didn't get one?" Eden looked around the kitchen. "Hey, where _is_ Sirius, anyway?"

Everyone looked distinctly uncomfortable. Eden stared at their faces and then back at Harry. Her face tightened.

"You got him killed?" Her voice was low and threatening. For what seemed the umpteenth time that evening, Harry merely nodded. "You idiot. You spell death for everyone you meet, don't you?"

McGonagall got to her feet. "That isn't fair!" she said sternly.

"So? He's been responsible for the deaths of two people in two years. Indirectly, perhaps, but still responsible!" Eden was almost shouting now, and the only thing keeping her in her seat was Ford's hands on her shoulders, preventing her from jumping up.

"Eden!" Braeden said sharply. "Settle down. Not everyone is going to handle a situation in the same way, and I'm sure Harry feels badly about the way things have turned out here! Just … settle."

Eden scowled but complied. She wasn't about to admit it, but if her double could screw up so badly in such a short space of time, she was scared she'd do the same, and felt doubly glad (and slightly ashamed) that her Sirius and Remus had stayed behind. Sirius often joked that they could handle Death Eaters with their eyes closed.

Braeden took a deep breath and continued the tale. He felt that it was best to get it all over with now. "Eden, the twins and Lee went to the Ministry. Kingsley went with them, Polyjuiced as Neville Longbottom, and Tonks met up with them there disguised as another student, and they went to the Hall of Prophecy. Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange and some other Death Eaters "ambushed" them, and our six led them to a more public place – not incredibly public, but somewhere Dad, me, Remus and Sirius could wait for them without looking suspicious."

"Didn't anyone recognise Sirius?" asked Remus.

"No. Don't forget, he had been living more or less free with our Remus and Eden for two years by then. He looked healthy – nothing like an escaped Azkaban convict on the run – but older than anyone would remember him. When they came out of the Department of Mysteries, we engaged the Death Eaters in battle. Voldemort showed up near the end, demanding the Prophecy. Eden smashed it rather than let him get it, and he…" Braeden swallowed, looking at Eden. Her eyes were haunted as she remembered the feeling of the most evil wizard of all time invading her mind, controlling her body.

"He possessed her," Bill finished. "Same thing happened to Harry."

"He tortured her with the Cruciatus Curse first – both he and Lestrange. He went to finish her off with the Killing Curse, but Dumbledore showed up. The Fountain of Magical Brethren was completely demolished in the ensuing fight, but we didn't lose anyone. Around a dozen Death Eaters were arrested, and Sirius was a free man – Fudge couldn't deny what he saw, especially with so many eyewitnesses. Eden's already told you what happened last year."

"I'd like to go now," Eden said with finality.

"Go?" repeated McGonagall. "Go where?"

"I don't know. The Leaky Cauldron should have some rooms spare, don't you think, guys?"

"Yeah," said Geordi, getting up. "I think we've more or less overstayed our welcome by now, anyway."

"Don't be silly!" protested Molly, speaking for the first time. "You can stay here. Different reality or no, this is still your home."

"No." Braeden's voice was gentle but firm. "We're a on mission. We can't stay here. Everyone would be in danger."

Molly looked as thought she was going to protest further, but caught sight of Eden and thought better of it. Being as protective as she was of Harry, she didn't really want Eden around him.

"But Braeden, what about ze wedding?" Fleur asked throatily. Braeden looked nervous.

"Don't you have your own Bill already?" he asked. "'Cause my Fleur will give me hell if I come home already married to someone else – even if it is an alternate reality her."

Fleur laughed. "I seemply meant will you be zere?" she clarified.

"Oh. Um, no. I think it would be best if we got this mission over and done with – I'd like to go home as soon as possible."

Fleur looked deeply flattered. "You are in a 'urry to get back to your Fleur?"

"Yes. Yes, I am," he replied, grinning. _Before she realises I'm gone!_ he added silently to himself. "Well, kids. We should be off."

"Right." They stood up, and all four made sure they had their wands and shrunken luggage.

"We'll Apparate there directly," he said to them.

"But Eden isn't seventeen yet!" Hermione sounded scandalised.

Eden, Braeden, Ford and Geordi looked at her. "So?"

"_So_," Hermione huffed. "It's _illegal!_"

"So's killing people. That never stopped Voldemort," shrugged Eden.

The four stepped through the back door and into the yard, and immediately Apparated away to The Leaky Cauldron to plan their next course of action.


	6. Informing

**A/N:** Remember – Braeden is Bill, Ford is Fred and Geordi is George.

The next update will be in about three weeks (I hope) because I want to read _Deathly Hallows_, then I've got a week's full-time work experience, then I'm going away for a week after that – and then I think I have another week's work experience on top of that!! Phew! Not to mention I've got other _Harry Potter_ fanfics to work on: _Differences Unite, _**Hogwarts Love**, _Bond of Magical Creatures_ and **Beyond the Veil**.

**Standard disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling**. **I am not Warner Brothers. I own nothing worth having, and have nothing worth owning. If you'd like to believe I'm rich, beautiful, talented and influential, that's OK. I'd like to believe that too.**

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Eden shuddered as she opened her eyes to see the back of The Leaky Cauldron. "I can't express how much I _hate_ to do that!"

Ford grinned. "Wimp."

"Jerk." She whacked him in the arm and poked out her tongue.

"Enough, guys," Braeden interrupted, rolling his eyes and smothering a grin. "Let's get inside." He knew that once Eden and the twins got started, it would be near impossible to stop them.

"Yeah. Uh, Bill?" Eden said, gazing up at his face.

"_Bill?_" he repeated, not bothering to suppress his grin this time.

Eden rolled her eyes. "Fine. _Braeden_. Your scars. You might want to hide them. Don't want people getting you and this world's Bill confused."

"Good plan." Bill performed a complex glamour on his face and the four of them took out their shrunken luggage, enlarging it before stepping into the dingy old pub. They smiled at the old barman as he looked up.

"Can I do anything for you folks?" he asked hopefully. "I'm Tom, the landlord here."

"A two bedroom suite," said Braeden cheerfully. "One room for us," here he indicated himself and his brothers, "and one for her. We'll be here for…how long, Eden?"

"A month?" Eden hazarded a guess. Braeden looked horrified. Fleur would definitely notice his absence. "At the very least."

"Certainly!" Tom grinned. It was obviously the best business he'd had in a while. "I'll go set your rooms up right away. Anything else?"

"Dinner would be nice," Geordi said hopefully. "Something hot and roasted?"

"Yeah," agreed Ford.

"Can we have some Firewhisky with that?" added Braeden.

"Ooh, a coffee for me," Eden piped up.

"I'll have your dinners seen to right away," he said happily. "Jila! Jila!"

A young, nervous looking house-elf in a light blue tea-towel stepped in from the kitchen. "Yes, Master Tom?"

"Roast pork and vegetables for our customers with Firewhisky and some coffee," Tom ordered. "Serve them…where would you like to eat?"

The four looked at each other. Eden shrugged at Braeden – his call.

"Out here," Braeden decided. "But we'll take the rest of our meals in our rooms."

"Very good, sir," Tom said. Jila bobbed once and disappeared back into the kitchen. Tom stepped closer to the group on his way to the stairs. He got a good look at them and frowned in confusion. "My word! Bill Weasley! And Fred and George! What are you doing here?"

"Bill Weasley?" Braeden said easily. "Not me. We're second cousins to the Weasley's. Name's Braeden Prewett. My brothers Ford and Geordi. And this is Eden Porter."

Eden rolled her eyes behind Tom's back. _Cousins?_ she thought incredulously. _Especially with the twins having names that are so similar to the Weasley's? He'd have to be some new breed of idiot to buy __**that!**_

"Oh!" Tom's brow cleared. "Mr Prewett. My apologies. You do look _extraordinarily_ alike." He shuffled off up the stairs to their rooms, and Eden stood with her mouth agape.

"I can't believe he _bought_ that!" Eden whispered. She didn't really want Tom to hear her. If he was happy to think that Bill, Fred and George were related to…themselves, then more power to him. She shook her head imperceptibly. She was really going to have to work on thinking of them as Braeden, Fred and Geordi.

Braeden chuckled. "The best lies are closest to the truth," he intoned in a wise voice. Ford and Geordi chuckled.

"Sirs, Miss," squeaked Jila from one of the private dining rooms suddenly, making the four of them jump. "Dinner is served."

"Thanks, Jila," Ford said, clutching the upper left side of his chest, as if that would ease his racing heart.

"In here, Sirs and Miss." Jila bowed low, clutching her tea-towel modestly to her own chest, and indicating the way with a sweep of her skinny arm. "It is best to eat while the food is hot. Jila is an excellent cook, it is good food."

"Thanks, Jila," Ford repeated, smiling a little. They trooped into the dining room and stopped short at the mouth-watering sight that greeted them. A roasted pork lay on a tray in the centre of the small, square table, surrounded by roasted potatoes, pumpkin slices, onions and tomatoes. There were two pitchers with hot apple sauce on either side of the tray, and three glasses of Firewhisky indicated where the boys were to sit. The fourth seat had a steaming mug of fresh-roasted Finnish coffee. Eden almost salivated as the aroma assaulted her nose.

Ford, Geordi and Braeden shook with laughter as Eden practically floated nose first towards the hot beverage. She picked it up and held it underneath her nose, savouring the aroma.

"Ohhh, that's _good_," she moaned softly, putting the mug back down and spooning a little bit of sugar into it. She stirred, added a small drop of milk and stirred some more, finally picking up the mug again to take the first sip.

"Are you planning on drinking that any time soon, Edes?" laughed Geordi, knocking back his Firewhisky in one gulp.

"Philistine," she sniffed. She took a careful sip of her coffee. "Ah, coffee. That sweet, sweet nectar of life," she sighed happily before parking herself opposite Braeden and next to Geordi.

Braeden grinned and began to carve up the roasted pork. "Plates," he said, holding out his hand for them. Geordi, Ford and Eden handed them over and Braeden piled up them up with food.

"Yum!" said Geordi, not really caring how juvenile he sounded when there were more important things to worry about – namely, sating his hunger.

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…An hour later…

Dessert – hot apple pie and fresh cream with fresh coffee for them all – was over and done with before Tom walked into the dining room.

"Your suite is ready, Misters Prewett, Prewett and Prewett … Miss Porter. If you'll follow me?"

"Thanks, Tom," Braeden replied as the four pushed their seats back and got to their feet.

Geordi yawned and stretched. "Man, I'm tired!"

"Me too," said Ford and Eden at the same time. The four followed Tom upstairs to the top floor, where four two bedroom suites were to be found.

"I've given you the biggest suite," Tom said, with what was obviously supposed to be an ingratiating smile. "Your luggage has been put into your rooms. Miss Porter, your room is quite small, but I think you'll find it to be very comfortable. Gentlemen, your room is much larger. It has a fourth bed, but that can be removed if you wish."

"Actually," said Braeden. "I think we'll keep it there for now."

"Very good, sir. If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Actually, Tom, there is something else we need," said Eden, who had been surveying the large main living area. It was divided into two sections. One had a small dining table next to an open firepit (for brewing potions/stews in a cauldron), and the other contained two portraits of old ladies who winked and giggled in Braeden's direction and some very cushy, comfortable looking lounges surrounding a low coffee table … but that was it. There were also three doors. Two led off the living area – the bedrooms – and the other was next to the firepit: the bathroom. "Could we have the portraits removed and some bookshelves put in?"

"The portraits … removed?"

"Yes please. And bookshelves put in."

Tom's eyes suddenly became wary and his sense of self-preservation surfaced. "I hate to be a bother, but … I really need to see your arms."

Braeden smiled reassuringly and took off his shirt. Ford and Geordi followed suit. Tom carefully gave their arms a good check and turned to Eden.

"I'm _not_ taking my shirt off," she said warningly. Ford and Geordi made small disappointed noises and she glared at them. Tom whipped out his wand faster than Eden would have ever given him credit for.

"I'm sorry, Miss Porter, I don't mean to be improper, but I need to be sure I'm not harbouring any Death Eaters. I'm sure you understand."

"I understand. But I'm not going to forget this," she huffed as she reluctantly unbuttoned her top and slipped it off. Tom quickly checked her arms and turned away.

"Thank you," said Tom as Eden quickly put her shirt back on.

"Yes, _thank_ you!" chorused Ford and Geordi. Eden fixed them with a quick Body-Bind curse. They landed with a soft whump! on the floor. Tom covered a smile with his hand and took down the portraits. Braeden didn't bother to hide his amusement.

"I'll be back soon with the bookshelves," Tom quavered. "Small or large?"

"Large. Thank you."

True to his word, Tom returned within ten minutes with three shrunken bookshelves which he expertly enlarged and placed against the walls.

"These are _perfect_," Eden said happily. "Thank you so much, Tom!"

The old landlord flushed slightly as he bowed his way back out of the room.

Braeden raised a hand in farewell as the door closed. "Well, I'm off to bed," he said, yawning and stretching in much the same manner that Geordi had before.

"No. wait." Eden held up a hand to keep him from leaving. "I think that you should know why we came here."

Braeden blinked and stepped over his brothers' inert forms to sit down on the nearest lounge. Eden joined him, tucking her legs underneath her so she could face him. She waved her wand at the twins and released them from their Body Bind, and they took seats on the opposite lounge, uncharacteristically serious looks on their faces.

Eden took a deep breath. "Have you ever heard of something called a Horcrux?"

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…Much later…

"I really hope you're exaggerating," Braeden said, eyes wide.

"Yeah, I felt the same way when Dumbledore told me," she admitted. She rubbed her eyes and failed to stifle a massive yawn.

"So…Voldemort is really running around with six parts of his soul stored in objects around the country?"

"Yup," said Ford.

"And we're looking for…what were they, again?"

"The diary and the ring have been destroyed which leaves Hufflepuff's cup, Slytherin's locket, Nagini and something that belonged to either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. I'm leaning towards Ravenclaw myself, since Gryffindor's sword is hanging in the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts."

"Oh, man. And how do we hope to accomplish this?"

"Well, I have a lot of books," shrugged Eden. "I was hoping that they could hold _some_ sort of clue on how to destroy a Horcrux. I need to seriously go over everything I've ever learned about Voldemort – using you guys as a sounding board – because I have to figure out what places besides Hogwarts mean something to him. They're the places he'd be most likely to hide his Horcruxes."

"So." Geordi slapped his hands against his thighs. "When do we start?"

"And are we joining forces with Harry and his group?" added Ford. The three Weasley-turned-Prewetts stared at Eden expectantly.

"First thing we do is get some sleep," she decreed. "And…I don't know about Harry. I guess we –" She was cut off by a large snowy owl tapping at the window.

"What the hell…?" Geordi trailed off as he got to his feet. He opened the window and the owl fluttered over to Eden. She took the offered envelope and tore it open before anyone could stop her. The owl flew back out through the window.

"Hang on!" Braeden protested. "That could have been from _anyone_ – even Voldemort!!"

"But this world's Voldemort doesn't know I exist and ours doesn't know I'm here," she pointed out logically while glancing over the contents of the letter. "Besides, it's from Harry. He wants to meet up for lunch, see what we've got planned and all that."

"So … bed?" Ford suggested.

"Bed," the other three chorused.


	7. Horcrux Talk

**A/N:** Geordi George, Ford Fred, Braeden (Brae) Bill. Also, this update was brought to you by special request of Dreams.

**Disclaimer: Not JKR. Not Warner Brothers. 'Nuff said.**

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Around 8am, Eden woke up with a start. "_**UMFGH!!**_" she yelled, trying to figure out what woke her up. 

"Morning!" Geordi grinned, barging into the room and holding a cup of hot coffee before him. "Didn't mean to wake you … well, actually, I did. Just thought you'd wake up a little more gently."

"Ta," she said weakly, reaching out for the steaming mug. She let loose an enormous yawn, and Geordi paused, waiting for her to finish before letting her get her hands on the hot beverage.

"Breakfast in half and hour," he said, leaving the room with an airy wave.

"Right-o," she replied to the closed door, placing her coffee to one side to swing her legs out of bed. As quickly as she could, she gulped down the coffee while unpacking some fresh clothes and toiletries. When she was finished her coffee, she quickly gathered up her newly unpacked belongings – adding a towel to the mix as she went – and headed out towards the bathroom.

"Having a shower!" she called to the twins, who sat in the small living room.

"'Kay," Ford said idly, flicking through that morning's _Daily Prophet_ Tom had brought up earlier. Then it occurred to him. "Edes! Wait!"

Too late.

"_**ARGH!!**_" Twin yells of horror echoed through the suite. Eden, in her rush to get into the soothing heat of a shower, hadn't checked to see if the bathroom was unoccupied, and walked in on Braeden towelling himself down.

"Oh, my eyes!" Eden cried dramatically, shutting them as tightly as she could while backing out of the bathroom. "I'm gonna have your skinny, pasty nekkid form imprinted on my mind forever, Braeden!" She followed the sounds of sniggering that emitted from the living room, only opening her eyes when she heard the bathroom door slam shut.

"Sorry," Ford said, sounding fiercely unrepentant. He smirked at the sight of Eden clutching her belongings protectively to her chest.

"Why didn't you _tell _me?" she demanded.

"I _tried, _but you opened the door before I could," he defended himself. In all fairness, Eden had to admit that he was right.

The bathroom door cracked open. "I'm dressed," Braeden said hastily, moving his fully-clothed form out into the open and espying Eden hiding her face.

"Good." Her reply was muffled by a few layers of clothing, but her relief shone through without a problem. Keeping her gaze averted – just to be safe – she ducked past Braeden and into the bathroom.

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Twenty minutes later saw everyone dressed and sitting down at the dining table eating breakfast. Eden sat opposite Braeden, ready and willing to smack the twins should they say anything she deemed "untoward".

"That was the second time something like this has happened in as many days," she groaned, looking down at the table in a rather depressed manner. "This is _not_ my week."

"Hey!" Braeden said, taking offence. "It wasn't _that _bad a sight!"

Ignoring him, Eden ploughed on. "We need a "Do Not Disturb" sign for the bathroom," she decided. "And some industrial-strength hexes for anyone who disregards the sign. Anyone who doesn't agree is going to get hit."

"I agree, then," Geordi said brightly. The other two nodded, and with that out of the road, Eden could finally enjoy her breakfast.

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The morning was spent unpacking and looking through various books that had once belonged to Sirius' family, in the hopes of finding some information on Horcruxes. At twelve-thirty, when a knock on the door and the faint sounds of a classic Granger-Weasley squabble beginning to brew were heard, that Eden and the guys remembered Harry was dropping in to compare plans.

"Come in!" called Geordi. Harry, Hermione and Ron entered the room as Geordi adjusted his position with a groan. "And close the door behind you." He clutched at his leg as his knee refused to straighten out.

"What'd happened?" Ron asked, giving Eden an accusatory stare. She stared back at him innocently.

"Leg went to sleep," Geordi replied, stretching it out and wincing.

"Not surprising," yawned Ford, setting aside his book and stretching his own legs. "We've been at this for hours and I haven't found a thing."

"Me either," sighed Eden. "You?" Her eyes followed her hand as it gestured vaguely in Braeden's direction, and he shook his head in more-than-slight disappointment. "Bugger."

"These books…!" Hermione gasped, reading some of the titles. "Where on Earth did you _get _these? Knockturn Alley?"

"…No," Eden said, tilting her head and looking at Hermione with interest. "They belong to Sirius, actually. But looking in Knockturn Alley isn't a bad idea, if these don't pan out."

Hermione looked aghast, and turned to Braeden in appeal. "Bill…Braeden! She can't be serious! You can't let a Potter go down there!"

"Actually," Braeden said, observing Eden as she – in mounting frustration – pulled her hair back into a severe bun, muttering all the while. "I couldn't stop her if I tried. Believe me."

Eden sent a quick grin his way before turning back to the newcomers. "You wanted to trade plans, did you not?" she asked Harry, motioning for the three of them to find a seat. They looked around: Ford and Geordi were on the floor surrounded by

"More compare than trade," Harry replied. "Obviously, you're going after the Horcruxes."

"Goes without saying," said Eden blandly. Harry opened his mouth to retort when another knock sounded on the door. Eden's group watched in bemusement as Harry, Hermione and Ron quickly dashed into the nearest room – the boys' room – before the door opened.

"The lunch you ordered earlier, Mr Prewett," Tom quavered, levitating a huge platter of sandwiches into the room and onto the dining table. "Will you be wanting any drinks with that?"

"If you could bring us up some pumpkin juice, that would be great," Braeden replied, getting up and stretching.

"Coffee for me," Eden requested, yawning with great enthusiasm. Tom nodded and left the room. Eden hopped up off the couch she was stretched out on and headed for the table.

"You'll stunt your growth with all that caffeine," Geordi said, holding out an arm to stop her for a hand up.

"I'll live," she replied dryly, heaving him to his feet.

"Owowowowow!!" he whined as his legs protested to the sudden blood-flow. Eden braced him by slinging his left arm around her shoulders and placing her left hand on his chest. Her right arm snaked around his waist and helped him hobble to the table.

"Baby," Ford snorted, grabbing Braeden's hand to pull himself up. Only Braeden's sudden jerk backwards saved them both from an embarrassing pile-up. "Owowowowow!!" he cried, clutching his oldest brother for support.

"You were saying?" grinned Geordi obnoxiously.

"Bite me."

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…Fifteen minutes later…

The seven of them crowded around the sandwiches, eating with gusto. Six goblets were occasionally topped up with pumpkin juice, and Ford used a charm to make sure the coffee pot was kept full – he and Geordi knew from experience that Eden couldn't research effectively unless she was loaded with caffeine. The memories of their final year of Hogwarts – Eden's OWL year – still stood out vividly in their minds.

Finally the food was gone, and everyone took their drinks back to the living room. Eden sat first and was squished on the two seater sofa by the twins, who sat down on either side of her. Ron and Hermione took the other sofa, and Harry and Braeden shifted mountains of books off two of the three single seaters.

"OK," Eden said. "Horcruxes. Where do you sit?"

"The diary and the ring are both destroyed. I have no idea where the cup or the locket is. Voldemort would keep Nagini with him and either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw's item is currently unidentified with whereabouts unknown."

"Yeah. Likewise." Eden sighed. "That's depressing."

"You got any theories on where they could be?"

"Yeah. I mean, they've got no real basis, but…"

"Yeah?"

"Well, like you've said, Riddle's 6th year diary and the ring have both been destroyed. The locket…something keeps coming up about that, but it's always just out of reach. OK, leave the locket for now. The cup is probably in some ruins related to Hufflepuff somehow (incredibly vague, I know) or in a museum. The remaining mystery Horcrux is something that once belonged to Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, right? Well, I'm leaning towards Ravenclaw, as Dumbledore seemed pretty confident that only Gryffindor's sword remains of his possessions and Voldemort never got his hands on it. So something of Ravenclaw's that denotes intelligence is hidden in Godric's Hollow. Nagini is at Voldemort's side, who himself still holds the 7th (and final) part of his soul."

"I don't understand how you think Ravenclaw's object has something to do with intelligence," Ron piped up.

"Simple. Salazar Slytherin left jewellery. Keep in mind that the Founders lived 1000 years ago, and the men of aristocracy wore as much – if not more – jewellery as the women. Helga Hufflepuff left a cup – an object of hospitality. Hufflepuff's are known for their warmth and friendship. And Godric Gryffindor, who founded the house that values bravery, left his sword. Considering all are fairly ornate objects, it's reasonable to assume that Rowena Ravenclaw left an ornate object of her own to her descendants. Perhaps a heavily decorated book? A jewelled inkwell? I'm not sure of what the object is itself, but I'm fairly sure it's hidden in Godric's Hollow, or somewhere else relevant to Godric Gryffindor. That would be a nice way to include all 4 founders in the Horcrux hunt, wouldn't it? It's something Voldemort would do."

"That makes sense," Hermione allowed. "OK. So what are all these books for?"

"Regulus Black was a Death Eater," Braeden explained. Harry made a small noise of agreement. "And Eden said Voldemort's words at the graveyard was that his Death Eater's knew that he had gone further than anyone to gain immortality. So it stands to reason that, as a Death Eater, Regulus would've known a bit about the Horcruxes."

"Regulus!!" To everyone's astonishment, Eden launched herself out of her Tweasley sandwich and danced around the room. They all looked at the girl in question in confusement and a little bit of fear. "Brae, I could _kiss_ you!!"

And she did. Quite thoroughly.

And then she broke away, looking extremely horrified.

"If anyone – and I mean _anyone_ – mentions this to anybody else – I will personally see to it that they are shot, stabbed, burned, drowned in acid, hexed fifty different ways 'til Sunday and finally _Avada Kedavra_'d. And then I'll indulge in a little necromancy and bring them back and do it all over again. Many times. _Got it?_"

Six heads bobbed up and down in fascinated fear.

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me." Eden walked to the bathroom in an as dignified manner as was possible under the circumstances. The sound of gargling was clearly heard, and Braeden – for the second time that day – felt incredibly insulted.

"It wasn't _that_ bad!" he muttered.

"OK," Eden said, coming back out and avoiding everyone's eyes. "Now. Um. Regulus. Right! Regulus. I know where the locket is. When we were cleaning out Headquarters for the Order – we used the Black Family home – we found this locket no one could open. Ever since I saw the memory of the Gaunt's in the Pensieve last year, I've had this nagging feeling that I'd seen the locket before."

"And you can connect this to Sirius' brother…how?" Geordi asked.

"Regulus Black!" Eden practically shouted, visibly excited. She was met with blank looks from all sides. "Argh! Guys! RAB! Regulus A. Black!"

Realisation dawned on Hermione's face. "You think Regulus switched the lockets?"

"It makes perfect sense!" Eden affirmed. She settled herself on the floor in front of the twins and rested her head back on the seat cushion.

"You're right! And I've got this book – not on me – that I…um_…__liberated _from Dumbledore's office at the end of last term." Hermione sounded incredibly guilty, and didn't look up to see the somewhat admiring looks Eden and the twins sent her way. "Anyway, I know how to destroy a Horcrux – I just don't know how to find them."

"Well, if you guys search the Black's home, I've got 10 Galleons that says Kreacher kept the locket when we went to throw it out."

"How does that help you?" Harry asked, reasonably.

"When Voldemort came through the … the _vortex_, for lack of a better word, the Horcruxes came through with him. The impression I got from the brief connection was that the Horcruxes were pulled through and landed in the same spots they resided in my world."

"Oh. Fair enough."

"So, it's probably a good thing we're here. In Diagon Alley, I mean," said Ford. "We can get some books on the Founders, see if we can't find any info on their items."

"Sounds like a plan," Geordi agreed. Murmurs of agreement sounded from all around and everyone got up and prepared to do some book shopping.


	8. Gotta Be Careful

**A/N 1:** Geordi is AU George, Ford is AU Fred, Braeden (Brae) is AU Bill.

**Disclaimer: Not JKR.**** Not Warner Brothers. 'Nuff said.**

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"Actually," Harry said, pausing at the door to the suite, "I think I'll go to Grimmauld Place now, and see if that locket is still there."

"Good idea," agreed Eden. "Only, there should be _two_ lockets, not just one, remember."

"I know."

Hermione and Ron elected to go with Harry, while the other four agreed to go into Diagon Alley. Before they left, however, Hermione addressed them all seriously.

"You guys should really disguise yourselves, you know that?"

"I think Tom might notice if his four new customers wore different faces from last night," Geordi dead-panned.

"I'm serious!" Hermione snapped.

"So am I," Geordi assured her. "But with everyone on heightened alert, it's not a good idea to go about raising suspicions, now is it?"

Hermione looked surprised and disgruntled. Being out-witted by a Weasley twin – _with logic_ – was a new and not altogether pleasant experience for her.

"Darken your hair," Eden suggested, unexpectedly coming to Hermione's aid. "And there's that charm we found a couple of years back that changes your jawline. If you hide your freckles on top of that, you won't be dead ringers for, well, yourselves. After all, you're supposed to be _related_ to the Weasley's, not actually _be_ them."

"Good point," Ford said. The twins faced each other and performed the necessary adjustments.

"And what about you?" Ron asked Eden.

"How many people are going to expect to see a female Harry Potter walking down the street?" she reasoned.

"Well, the eyes and the scar are kind've giveaways," he mumbled. Eden blinked. She hadn't thought of that.

"Well, easy solved," she said. She darted back into the bathroom, performed a quick charm, and came back with hazel eyes.

Brae did a glamour on her forehead, hiding her scar, and another on himself to hide his own scars. He also darkened his hair and hid his Weasley freckles, as well as squared his jaw.. "OK," he said, grinning at the assembled youths. "We're set."

The seven of them traipsed down the stairs and into the back courtyard of The Leaky Cauldron. Harry, Hermione and Ron Apparated away while Brae opened the doorway to Diagon Alley.

Once inside, they couldn't help but notice the tense faces of everyone they passed. Nobody seemed to travel alone, and it seemed that _everyone _was keeping an eye on the people walking in and out of Knockturn Alley.

"Flourish and Blotts first," said Eden quietly.

"Fre…_Ford_ and I want to see Weasley's Wizard Wheezes," Geordi said cheerfully.

"OK. Brae and I will be in the junk shop if we're not in the book shop." The twins nodded and quickly darted down the street, wanting to see how their counterparts ran their business (and maybe swap stories and techniques).

"And if the junk shop fails?" prompted Brae after the twins were out of earshot. Eden turned to him.

"Are you OK with going down Knockturn Alley?" she asked, her eyes telling him that he didn't have to if he didn't feel comfortable with it. But she had forgotten something: Brae was a Weasley, a curse-breaker and a true Gryffindor.

"Not a problem."

"Take one of the twins," she requested. "Not that I doubt your abilities, I just don't want any of us to wander off alone."

"Fair enough."

The two made their way up the street and into the book store. Historical texts on the Four Founders where plentiful, but their accuracy had to be questioned. _GODric Gryffindor: The Lead Founder_ was one such text, but Eden grabbed it anyway. She and Brae soon had floating piles of books following them around the store as they grabbed whatever looked like it might be remotely relevant to their quest. Finally they made their way to the counter, where the manager looked delighted at their purchases – a lot of the books they had chosen were expensive.

Eden winced at the final amount: almost a hundred galleons. Still, if it helped them defeat Voldemort… The manager shrank the wrapped up books for them, and Eden tossed them into her purse.

"Think you can convince the Ministry to reimburse you for this?" Brae muttered after they left the store.

"I can only hope," she sighed. "I'll be keeping my receipt on this, no question. Kingsley and Tonks should be able to tell me, don't you think?"

"For sure. Junk shop?"

"Junk shop."

As they entered the junk shop, Brae got a feeling that something wasn't Quite Right. Eden had the same feeling, and instinctively grabbed his wrist, moving closer to him as she scanned the store. Two young families and some old (and poor-looking) wizards. Not good if things went pear-shaped.

"Brae?"

"Leaving."

"No, you're not," sneered a hoarse voice behind them. They turned to see someone who looked vaguely familiar to Eden, but she couldn't quite place it. He was large and blonde with a hard face.

"Yes, they are, Rowle" intoned a deep voice behind the large blonde. Eden had never in her life been so relieved to see and hear Kingsley Shacklebolt. And Rowle, apparently, had never before in his life been so upset to see him.

"Shacklebolt. They didn't pay for their goods," he sneered.

"Probably because we haven't had a chance to see what's in here," Eden muttered. Kingsley sent a quick look her way, part amusement but mostly warning, and she subsided.

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Half an hour later, the four of them were back in their suite, accompanied by Kingsley.

"You want to be a bit more cautious," he told them. "Death Eaters are slowly taking over the Ministry and it's not safe to be out and about unless you're recognised faces."

"We should've turned you into Harry, Edes," Geordi piped up.

"Yeah, because that would've been _so_ much safer," she agreed sarcastically. Geordi just winked at her.

"I'll be going now," Kingsley said, giving them all a friendly smile and wave. "Take care."

"Guess that means Knockturn Alley is out of the question," Brae said once Kingsley had left and he (Braeden, that is) had warded the suite against eavesdroppers.

"Yeah, but it's not like we don't have anything to get going on with now. I hope Harry gets back soon – I want to know if he found the locket or not."

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…Two hours later…

There was a tap at the door, and Ford opened it up to see the Original Trio standing there, looking half triumphant and half despondent.

"You were right," he said, once Brae had warded the suite again. "The locket _was_ there. Kreacher wasn't sure how that happened, as Mundungus Fletcher had stolen "Master Regulus'" locket. But then yesterday, it showed up again. I think it's _your _Horcrux. I've sent Kreacher out to look for Dung, so we'll be staying at Grimmauld Place. Hermione thought it would be best if you stayed with us."

Eden didn't respond, but instead stared at the locket with a lost look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Geordi said, plunking himself on her lap.

"Damn, you're heavy," she groaned, trying futilely to push him off. "What's the idea?"

"Are we staying at Grimmauld Place with Harry and that?" Braeden asked.

"Oh. Um, yeah. Sure. Actually, that's probably not a bad idea. Who thought of it?"

"I did," said Hermione. Eden stared at her before smiling weakly.

"I've obviously been missing out on something all these years," she said. "You're not half bad, Granger."

Hermione looked rather flattered.

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**A/N 2:**** I know, that's kind've a crappy place to end it. Sorry. Also, s****orry about the shortness of the chapter, I had to force myself to write it, and it isn't my best. -pout- I'm trying to get over my intense dislike of the Original Trio, but it's not working. Gotta say, though, Hermione is definitely looking to be useful. -grin-**

**For chapter five ****HumptyDumptyWasPushed**** wrote **_**"Eden is like her father"**_** to which I must reply: Thanks for noticing that. :-) In the books, everyone says that Harry looks just like his father, and assumes that he will act like him (Snape, I'm looking at you). Well, it's always been my belief that Harry's more like Lily than James. For example, he's far more empathic to people being bigoted against than I think James ever could've been at that age. Eden, on the other hand, is deliberately written to reflect more James than Lily. Bear in mind that she has been living with Sirius and Remus for a couple of years now, and that she has always hung out with the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan, not to mention that JKR herself has said that Harry would have been a different person had he been a girl. I definitely don't want people to read this and go "what the hell? This OC is Harry with boobs!" but rather "OK, so Harry and Eden are definitely different people" (as shown by Eden having a different wand – which I now know doesn't work but oh well (I choose to conveniently ignore that fact) – and a different Patronus to Harry).**

**And thanks to everyone for reading through an author's note as long as the chapter:-) I hope it clears up some things for you.**


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